Nerve signals ‘blocked’
When the music was synchronized the exercisers had higher endurance and, even at highly intense levels, interpreted their tiredness in a positive fashion. ‘At low and moderate exercise intensities,’ explains Karageorghis, ‘nerve signals that carry information relating to bodily fatigue and perceptions of effort are inhibited or “blocked” by the neural response to musical sound. It is probable, although difficult to prove experimentally, that music stimulates the area of the brain that governs the release of certain natural opioids, such as endorphins, which have a variety of euphoric, stress-relieving, and anxyolytic (anxiety-relieving) effects.’

Stimulation
Karageorghis’ work shows that the type of music required depends on factors like the intensity of the exercise, the age and gender of the exerciser and the internal make up of the exercisers. ‘In terms of personality,’ explains Karageorghis, ‘extraverted people prefer more arousing music (faster, louder, and with prominent bass) when compared to introverted people. The reason for this is that extraverted people require greater stimulation in certain parts of their brains such as the temporal lobes. They generally seek “sensation” whereas introverted people typically need to reduce anxiety and consequently aim to relax.’

Karageorghis was asked to provide the music lining the route for the UK Run to the Beat half marathon and will do so again this year. The event itself is travelling worldwide in 2009. ‘I also have several other exciting projects in the pipeline,’ says Karageorghis, ‘including a study to answer the question of whether there is a relationship between exercise heart-rate and the tempo (speed) of music that we prefer during exercise of different intensities.’